Are at home std tests as accurate as lab tests?

Most at-home STD tests boast 92% accuracy or better, which is similar to laboratory testing. For specific STDs:

• Chlamydia and gonorrhea tests have 86% sensitivity and 97% specificity for both at-home and lab tests.
• Herpes tests are 93-99% accurate for both at-home and lab testing.
• HIV at-home tests are 92-99% accurate, comparable to lab tests

At-home tests can match lab accuracy on paper, but there are some catches. Most kits ask you to collect your own sample (urine, a finger-prick blood draw, or a genital swab) and mail it off to a lab.

If you follow the instructions to the letter, the results are usually accurate. The catch is sample collection: it's easy to swab the wrong spot, contaminate the sample, or not draw enough blood. In a lab, a phlebotomist or nurse handles the collection, and the lab itself runs more sensitive equipment that can pick up lower levels of pathogens. Because many STDs don't cause symptoms and can lead to serious long-term complications, TeleTest doesn't sell at-home kits. We'd rather send you to a lab and get you treated quickly if something comes back positive.

Convenience

People reach for kits to dodge the long waits at walk-in clinics. TeleTest offers same-day appointments and most patients get a slot right away. Your requisition gets faxed to the lab you pick, so you can walk in for testing the same day. No waiting on shipping, no pharmacy trip.

Kits still need to ship to a lab for analysis, so your turnaround is the same or longer than going in person. We track turnaround times for every lab in Ontario so patients can pick the fastest one nearby. Results land directly in your profile once the lab processes them. No call-back from a clinic required. Most patients see results within 1 to 2 days.

If you test positive, you usually need to see a clinician for treatment. With TeleTest, you can either wait on the results or get a prescription up front. Your script is faxed to your pharmacy of choice so you can pick it up after the appointment. If you'd rather wait, a follow-up consult is included so you can sort out the next steps.

Privacy

Privacy is the other big draw of kits. STI testing is personal, so we offer private testing too. We don't notify your family doctor, we don't share results with anyone, and we periodically purge old results from our servers. Want to go a step further? You can leave your OHIP info out so results aren't tied to your health card. See our policy on private and semi-anonymous testing.

At-home kits feel convenient, but TeleTest gives you the same privacy and convenience with lab-grade accuracy and faster access to treatment. Check our FAQ for more on STD testing with us.